On our first visit to Bora Bora, one of the staff recommended visiting the reefside of the island. Well, it's all reef, right? But what they meant was the eastern side of the island, outside the resort areas. It was a good recommendation. Here, we found the helipad, old stone foot bridges, and a marvelous expansive view of the shallows over the reef. As the tides wash over the reef, the water begins to rush in and swirl into the channels that feed the clear turquoise lagoon. In the early morning, I watched the sunrise, alone, except for the birds, the water, the light.